Cover for cooking vessels.



No. 674,569. Patented May 2|, l90l.

J. H. WILSON. COVER FUR COOKING VESSELS.

(Application filed Feb. 28, 1900.)

2 Shuts-Sheet I.

.1. :1. WILSON. COVER FOR COOKING VESSELS.

(Application filed Feb. 28, 1900.)

No. 674,569. Patented May 2|, l90l.

'2 Sheets8heet 2. 1

- manic L NITED STATES ATENT JOHN H. l/VILSON, OF LEMONT, ILLINOIS.

COVE R FOR COOKING VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 674,569, dated May 21,1901. Application fil d February 28, 1900. Serial No. 6,828. No model.)

To all whmn, it may concern: Be it known that I, JOHN H. WILSON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Lemont, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Cover for CookingVessels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in covers for cooking vessels; andone object in view is to provide a cover for all kinds of cookingvessels, particularly adapted for service on any kind of cooking vesselor saucepan with or without a spout or lip and in which food is cookedin heated water.

The cover of my invention is especially advantageous for service onstandard makes of cooking vessels, nearly all of which have a bead orround edge at the top, over which the cover lies.

My cover is used independently of the bandle or hail of the vessel,which enables the cover to be applied universally to the standard sizesof vessels to be found in the market.

A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a cover with means fordraining off the liquid contents of the vessel, while also mak ingprovision for closing the draining-orifices to confine the steam in thevessel, said cover being securely held in position on the vessel when itis tilted and the closure for the drainorifices being thrown to its openposition automatically by a slidable movement of the cover itself.

A further object is to provide a cover with a sl rainer and a closuretherefor, said parts being adapted to be simultaneously thrown to anopen position by direct manipulation of the hand, although the closuremay be lifted and the movable strainer locked in aclosed position bydevices which cooperate with the cover on a slidable adjustment thereof.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thecourse of the subjoined description, and the novelty in the combinationof parts and in the construction and arrangement of parts will bedefined by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have represented a cover for cookingvessels which embodies the several features of my invention in theirpreferred form, and to these drawings I shall now refer in order toexplain more clearly the nature of the invention and the manner in whichthe same is or may be carried into effect.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved coverapplied to acooking-kettle. Fig. 2 is a transverse section with the strainer and theclosure-plate therefor adjusted to their closed positions. Fig. 3 isanother sectional view of the cover with the strainer locked in itsclosed position and the hinged closureplate thrown back to its openposition. Fig. 4 is a view of the cover with the strainer and theclosure-plate in their open positions. Fig. 5 is a detail perspectiveview of the strainerplate". Fig. 6 is a like view of the closureplate.Fig. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the cover appliedto a saucepan, and Fig.8 isa cross-section through said cover with theclosure-plate in its raised position. Fig. 9 is another perspective viewof a portion of the cover embodying still another constructioncontemplated by this invention, and Fig. 10 is a cross-section thereof.Fig. 11 is a plan view of a portion of a cover embodying still anotherconstruction falling within the scope of the generic features of thisinvention. Fig. 12 is a cross-section of the device shown by Fig. 11.Fig. 13 is a detail perspective view of the slidable strainercontemplated by the construction of Figs. 11 and 12. Fig. 14 is a detailview of the cover adjusting and clamping handle.

The same numerals of reference are used to indicate like andcorresponding parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.

The cover 15 is shown by the drawings as provided with the depressions16, separated by an intervening bead 17 and having a fiat marginalportion 18, the edge of which is folded, as at 19; but thecross-sectional contour of the cover is not material. Hence the detailedform and the dimensions of the cover provided with a strainer, animperforate closure for such strainer, and means cooperating with thecover for moving the imperforate closure to an open position by aslidable movement which is imparted to the cover itself, such slidablemovement being given to the cover by a handle adapted to be operatedwithout burning the hands of the operator and to serve as a means forclamping the cover upon the cooking vessel.

The generic features of the invention as herein outlined are susceptibleof modification within certain limits, such by making the strainerintegral or movable with respect to the cover itself, by the employmentof different forms of actuating-yoke, and by detailed constructions ofthe strainer and the c1osureplate.

Various m odifications contemplated by this invention are shown by theaccompanying drawings, and I will first proceed to describe thepreferred embodiment, which is represented by Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive.

The cover 15 is provided in its flat section 18 with an opening or slot20, which is preferably of the rectangular form shown, said slot openingthrough the edge of the cover at a point opposite to the application orconnection of the handle 36 to the cover. This slot is punched in thecover at the period of manufacturing the same by suitable (lies, andfragments are left integral with the cover, so as to project into theslot, such fragments being bent upon the cover to produce the parallelloops or guides 21, which are situated at opposite ends of the slot. Thestrainer-plate 22 is made in a separate piece from the cover itself, anda portion of this plate is formed with a plurality of perforations 24,which constitute the drain-openings when the strainer rests flat uponand is clamped to the cover. This strainer-plate is provided in rear ofits perforated portion with an inclined offset flange 25, and the rearportion of the plate is extended beyond this flange, as at 26, toprovide for the proper hinge connection of the strainer-plate to thecover, as at 29. The offset flange or the extended part 26 of thestrainer-plate has the notches 27 formed in its edges, and said plate isfurthermore provided with a locking tongue 28, which is formed bypunching out a portion of the offset flange 25, so that the tongue willlie in the plane of the perforated part of the strainerplate.

I employa hinged closure-plate 30, adapted to rest upon thestrainer-plate, so as to close the perforated portion thereof, and thisclosure-plate has a hinged connection with the strainer-plate, so as tobe adjustable with the latter when it is turned on its hinged connection29 with the cover; but at the same time this closure-plate is capable ofa limited independent movement on the strainer-plate. Said closure-plateis provided with angular arms 31 at its rear edge, which arms are fittedin the notches 27 and are adapted to turn on the edges afforded bytheinclined offset flange 25. These angular arms, fitting loosely in thenotches of the oifset flanged strainer-plate, operate to pivotally orhingedly connect the closure-plate to the strainer-plate, and the freeends of the said angular arms are disposed in the path of a yoke 32.This yoke is preferably made of a single piece of metal, which is bentor otherwise fashioned to form the parallel side bars 33, the cross-bar34:, and the hooks 35. The side bars are connected at one end by thecross-bar, while the hooks are formed at the free ends of the side barsso as to depend from the latter. The yoke is mounted on the cover byfitting its side bars loosely in the guides or loops 21 in a manner forthe yoke to slide easily on the cover. The hooks of the yoke are curvedor otherwise shaped to fit the head or flange usually provided on therim of the cooking vessel, and the cross-bar of this yoke rests on thecover in position to impinge against the angular arms 31 of theclosure-plate and to engage with the locking-tongue 28 of thestrainer-plate.

The handle 36 is connected to the cover on the opposite side thereof tothe slot or opening 20, and this handle is constructed to give a limitedsliding movement to the cover and to engage with the rim of the vesselin a way to clamp said cover upon the vessel at the completion of itssliding movement thereon. The handle is shown as provided with a pintleportion 37, from which extend the cranks 38, that are bent to conform tothe shape of the head or flange on the cooking vessel. The handle isprovided with the arms 39, and the loop of the handle lies at an angleto these arms. A hinge-loop 4:0 loosely embraces the pintle portion 36'of the handle, and said loop is riveted or otherwise fastened to thecover. The handle is pivotally mounted on the cover for its cranks todepend below the underside thereof, and the parts of the handle are sofashionedor arranged that the loop thereof will not rest flat upon thecover when the cranks are Withdrawn from engagement with the vessel,thus prevent-ingthe looped portion of said handle from being heatedunduly by the cover and minimizing the tendency of the handle to burnthe hands of the operator in manipulating the cover.

The cover of my invention is fitted to a cooking vessel so that the slotor opening 20 therein lies immediately over the pouringlip, thusadjusting the cover for the hooks of the yoke to lie on opposite sidesof the lip and on one side of the vessel, while the clampinghandle lieson the opposite side of the vessel. The strainer-plate fits in theopening or slot of the cover, so as to be positioned over the vesselslip, and the closure-plate rests flat upon the strainer-plate, so as toclose the openings therein and minimize the escape of steam from thevessel while the food is being cooked. To drain the liquid contents fromthe food in the vessel without permitting the food to escape, theoperator lifts the handle,

so as to throw its cranks beneath the beaded rim of the vessel. Thisoperation makes the cranks impinge against the vessel, so as to draw thecover across the latter, and such slidable adjustment of the covercauses the hooks of the yoke to engage with the beaded edge of thevessel. This engagement of the yoke with the vessel takes place beforethe cover completes its sliding movement under the manipulation of thehandle, and as the cover completes its sliding movement the cross-bar ofthe yoke engages with the tongue of the strainer-plate and the free endsof the angular arms on the closure-plate, whereby the strainer is lockedfirmlyin place over the lip and the closure-plate is raised to aninclined position, so as to expose the openings in the strainer-plate.The engagement of the hooks on the yoke with the cover and the cranks ofthe handle with the vessel operates to clamp the cover firmly upon thevessel, and the vessel may now be tilted to an inclined position byproper manipulation of the vessel-handle and the cover-handle, so as topour off the liquid contents without permitting the escape of the solidfood. The vessel may rest upon the stove or other surface, and theclosure-plate may be returned to its proper position on thestrainer-plate by gravity, this result being efiected by slipping thecover across the vessel or by making the parts assume an inclinedposition. The strainerplate, and with it the closure-plate, may bethrown back out of the way by turning the strainer-plate on the hinge29, so that the parts will rest upon the cover in rear of the opening20, and the two plates are thus adjustable simultaneously by hand.

, In lieu of making the strainer-plate in a separate piece from thecover I may provide said cover with an integral perforated section 41,which constitutes the strainer portion of the cover. This requires theguides or loops for the yoke to be made in separate pieces, as at 42,and to be riveted, as at 43, upon the cover. The yokeis fitted slidablyin the loops for its cross-bar to lie in rear of the closureplate 44,the same being provided with an upstanding flange 45, from which extendsan inclined lip 46. A slot or opening 47 is provided in this flange andthe lip at the middle portion of the plate, and a separate hinge-plate48 is riveted or otherwise fastened to the cover in position for thelips 49 of said plate to pass through the slot in the closure-plate,said lips being in opposite directions. The closureplate is thushingedly connected to the cover through the medium of the hinge-plate,and the lip 46 is disposed in the path of the crossbar forming a part ofthe yoke, whereby the engagement of the yoke-hooks With the vessel andthe slidable movement of the cover under the action of the handle 36brings the lip of the closure-plate in engagement with the yoke, so asto lift the closure-plate to a raised position andexpose the perforatedstrainer-section 41 of the cover.

In the embodiment shown by Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings the cover isprovided with the integral strainer-section; but the closureplate has adirect hinged connection with the cover, and the yoke is pivotallymounted on said cover, so as to rock thereon in a manner to haveengagement with the vessel and the closure-plate. Said plate is providedat its rear edge with an angular upstanding lip 50 and with the pivotallugs 51, which are inserted in openings 52, formed in the cover, saidlugs being disposed in pairs and bent in opposite directions in order toloosely connect the plate to the cover. The yoke 53 has the pivotal arms54, mounted loosely in loops 55, which are riveted to the cover, andsaid yoke is furthermore provided with the depending cranks 56, whichextend inwardly to engage with the beaded rim of the vessel when thecover is moved slidably by the handle. The engagement of the cranks 56with the vessel depresses the cross-bar of the yoke into engagement withthe angular lip of the closureplate to raise the latter to its openposition. This form, of the yoke cooperates with the handle in clampingthe cover upon the vessel In lieu of making the strainer-plate hingedlyadjustable on the cover, as in Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, I may slidablymount a strainerplate 57 on the cover, as shown by Figs. 11 to 13,inclusive. This strainer-plate is provided with an extended shank 58,which is loosely fitted in a guide 59 in the cover, the rear end of theshank terminating in an upstanding finger-piece 60. The slidable plateis provided at its rear edge with the upstanding pivotal ears 61, whichare disposed on opposite sides of the shank. The closure-plate 62 has aflange 63 at its rear edge, said flange having the slots 64, whichreceive bent portions of the pivotal ears 61, thus hingedly connectingthe closure-plate to the strainerplate. The plate 62 has its flangedisposed in the path of the cross-bar on the slidable yoke, and theplate is furthermore provided with a stop-lip 65, adapted to impingeagainst the yoke when the plate is suddenly inverted, the free end ofthe plate resting on the fingerpiece when inverted. The operation of thehinged plate is similar to the construction shown'by Figs. 1 to 6 inthat the slidable movement of the cover makes the yoke lift or invertthe closure-plate; but to move the strainer-plate so as to expose theopening or slot in the cover it is necessary to withdraw saidstrainer-plate by pressing against the finger-piece of its shank, suchWithdrawal of the strainer operating to invert the closureplate becauseits flange 63 rides against the cross-bar of the yoke.

In the act of tilting the vessel equipped with the cover shown by Figs.lto 6 and with the strainer and its closure thrown back to the positionshown by Fig. 4 the parts are prevented, in case of accidental fallingforward, from completely closing the lip of the vessel by the lockingtongue 28 striking against the yoke. When solids are poured from thevessel, the cover is usually removed entirely therefrom, in which eventby holding the front part of the cover upward the slidable yoke adjustsitself by gravity sufficiently for the tongue 28 to pass in front of theyoke, thus allowing the strainerplate and the closure to fall back intothe opening of the cover so as to close the same.

The slidable yoke performs four functions: First, it cooperates with thefront part of the vessel so as to assist in clamping the cover thereto;secondly, the closure-plate is lifted when the cover is slidablyadjusted; thirdly, it looks the strainer-plate in its closed position,and, finally, it stiffens the cover where it is weakened by cutting outa portion thereof to make the opening or slot 20, thus minimizing thetendency to break at the opening.

The operating-handle 26 has its cranks arranged to engage with theunderside of the cover in a manner for the parts to be disposedcompactly with relation to the cover, thus making provision for nestinga nu mber of the covers closely together in packing the same forshipping. As a matter of fact, the other parts of the cover are made asfiat as possible, so that they may be compactly arranged to facilitateshipment or storage thereof.

Changes Within the scope of the appended claims may be made in the formand proportion of some of the parts while their essential features areretained and the spirit of the invention is embodied. Hence I do notdesire to be limited to the precise form of all the parts as shown,reserving the right to vary therefrom.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. An apertu redvessel-cover provided with a relatively movable closure, and closureactuating mechanism, said closure-actuating mechanism being operatedby the movement of the cover to eifect a change of relation of theclosure with respect to the aperture in the cover.

2. The combination with a vessel, of a shiftable cover provided with anopening, a relatively movable closure designed to cover the opening, andclosure-actuating means operated by the shifting movement of the coverto effect a change of relation between the closure and the openingthrough the cover.

3. A vessel-cover provided with a movable closure, a closure-actuatingdevice capable of movement relative to the cover, and means forretaining said device in order to efiect such relative movement and theconsequent actuation of the closure through the movement of the cover.

4:. The combination with a vessel, of an apertured shiftable cover, ahinged closure carried by the cover and designed to close the openingtherein, and means operated by the shifting movement of the cover foreffecting a change of relation between the closure and the opening inthe cover.

5. The combination with a receptacle, and a movable cover, of a movableclosure carried by the cover, and closure-actuating means engaging thereceptacle.

6. A vessel-cover provided with ast-rainer, an imperforate hingedclosure for said strainer, and means carried by the cover andoperatively disposed to the hinged closure to lift the latter by ashiftable movement of the cover, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. A vessel-cover provided with a strainer, an imperforate hingedclosure therefor, and a yoke mounted on the cover to have a limitedmovement thereon, said closure having a part disposed in the path of theyoke and adapted to be moved bysaid yoke to an open position on alimited movement of the cover itself, as set forth.

8. A vessel cover provided at one side with a strainer, a hinged closurefor said strainer, a handle connected to the other side of the cover andprovided with means adapted to give a limited sliding movementto thecover, and a yoke in cooperative relation to the hinged closure foropening the latter on the slidahle movement of the cover, as set forth.

9. A vessel-cover provided with a strainer, a handle mounted on thecover and having means for clamping the same upon, and shifting saidcover with relation to, a vessel, a closure for the strainer,and a yokealso mounted on the cover in cooperative relation to the closure andhaving means for clamping the cover upon a vessel, as set forth.

10.. Avessel-cover provided with a strainer, a clamping-handle pivotedon the cover substantially at the opposite side from the strainer andprovided with the cranks adapt ed to engage with the vessel to clamp thecover thereon, a yoke also mounted on the cover adjacent to the strainerand having bent portions adapted for engagement with a vessel, and aclosure arranged over the strainer and in operative relation to saidyoke, as set forth.

11. A vessel-cover provided with an opening, a strainer shiftablyconnected with the cover to fit over said opening, a closure-platehaving a hinged connection with the strainer, and means for moving theclosure with relation to the strainer, as set forth.

]2. A vessel-cover provided with an opening, a strainer having ashiftable connection with the cover, an imperforate closure hinged tothe strainer to be shiftable therewith and having a limited movementindependent of said strainer, and a yoke cooperating with the strainerand with the imperforate closure, as set forth.

13. A vessel-cover provided with an opening, a strainer hinged to thecover, a closure hinged to the strainer, and a yoke arranged to lockthes'trainer and to lift the closure,

said yoke being arranged for engagement with a receptacle, as set forth.

14:. A vessel-cover provided with an opening, a strainer shiftablyconnected with the cover, a closure hinged to the strainer, meansconnected with the cover for slidably moving the same on a vessel, and ayoke arranged to lock the strainer and to move the closure with relationto the strainer on the slidable movement of the cover, as set forth.

15. A vessel-cover provided with an opening, a strainer hinged theretoand having a locking-tongue, a closure connected to the strainer, and ayoke arranged to engage with the tongue of the strainer and alsodisposed in operative relation to the closure, as set forth.

16. A cover provided with an opening and with the loops or guides at theedges of said opening, a yoke slidably fitted in the loops or guides, astrainer having a shiftable connection with the cover, and a closurehinged to the strainer and provided with means disposed in the path ofthe cross-bar of said yoke, as set forth.

17. The combination of a cover provided with a strainer, a clam ping andshifting handle connected with said cover, a hinged closure for thestrainer, a shiftable yoke arranged to engage with the closure, and avessel upon which the cover is fitted and with which the handle and theyoke are adapted to engage, as set forth.

18. The combination of a cover provided with a strainer, a vessel onwhich the cover is adapted to fit, a clamping-handle mounted on thecover to cooperate with the vessel, a yoke also connected with the coverto 006perate with the vessel, and a strainer-closure arranged to belifted by said yoke, as set forth.

19. A cover provided with a strainer,a yoke shiftably mounted on thecover, and a hinged closure having inclined members disposed in the pathof the yoke, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

, JOHN H. WILSON.

WVitnesses:

SYLVESTER L. DERBY, OLOOTT R. DERBY.

